Commonwealth school linking partnership launched

Sixty schools in the West Midlands have been twinned with 60 schools across 10 Commonwealth countries, as part of a new partnership between the British Council and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Pupils from the West Midlands took part in a video call with children in Sri Lanka at the official launch the partnership, called Commonwealth Connections.

Through the twinning project young people will explore cultures and beliefs and learn how to communicate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives through a programme of sporting and artistic activities.

Attending the launch at Thorns Collegiate Academy in Brierley Hill were teachers and pupils from six schools in the Dudley area who took part in a live link up with six schools in Sri Lanka.

The pupils from each country took turns to perform demonstrations over a live video link.

The children in Sri Lanka showed off a traditional dance while pupils in the UK performed a fusion dance.

They were joined by Commonwealth Championships gold medalist Tom Davis and Paralympic gold medalist Liz Johnson – both athlete mentors for the Youth Sport Trust – and Birmingham 2022 mascot Perry the Bull.

The event included team building and leadership development activities.

It was officially launched by UK Commonwealth Envoy Jo Lomas, Kate Ewart-Biggs deputy chief executive of the British Council, and Alton Brown, Head of Youth Programmes and Policy at Birmingham 2022.

The £500k project is co-funded by Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the British Council.

The British Council is delivering the project in partnership with Birmingham Education Partnership (BEP) and the children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust (YST). BEP has nominated its flagship Birmingham Arts School to lead on delivery of the arts and culture strand of the project.

The project will run until July 2022 and will build excitement among young people and their communities in the build up to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

British Council deputy chief executive Kate Ewart-Biggs said: “It’s important to get children thinking internationally and learning about different cultures around the world. We’re proud to have used our long-established network of schools and education leaders around the world to provide these international connections. The Games are a fantastic opportunity to develop relationships with other Commonwealth countries by bringing people together.”

Birmingham 2022 Head of Youth Programmes & Policy Alton Brown said: “It was fantastic to see the children engaging and sharing experiences with pupils from Sri Lanka. The Commonwealth Connections programme allows schools from across the globe to be inspired by the Games and learn about sport, arts and culture from different parts of the world. As part of our Youth Programme, we are creating opportunities for children and young people and celebrating them as our next generation of changemakers.”